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Mick Fanning has showed there's life in the "old boy" yet, eliminating Japanese world No.1 Kanoa Igarashi after coming out of retirement to pursue a fifth Bells Beach title.

The 40-year-old four-times champion, who quit the World Surf League tour in 2018, overcame the Olympic silver-medallist in a Thursday thriller.

He led a stunning eight-strong Aussie charge into the top 16, alongside Owen Wright, Jackson Baker, Ethan Ewing, Connor O'Leary, Morgan Cibilic, Callum Robson and Jack Robinson.

American veteran Kelly Slater, 11-times world champion and current world No.2, bowed out.

Slater said he was still recovering from a recent bout of COVID-19.

Former world No.1 and 2019 Bells champion John John Florence banked the best score of a day, with the Hawaiian earning a 9.93 to advance.

Igarashi needed 8.94 to move past Fanning and provided a heart-stopper in the last wave of the heat, but only managed 8.0.

Fanning won Bells as a teenage wildcard in 2001 and retired after he last surfed the event in 2018, when he lost to Italo Ferreira in the final.

"As a wildcard you want to come in and put on a performance," Fanning, who was swamped by fans on the beach, said.

"Going up against the world No.1 I had nothing to lose I just came here to have fun."

After catching six waves in the 30-minute heat he said he was feeling "gassed".

"I didn't realise my fitness level wasn't up to it," Fanning said.

"I'm thinking about getting some air - I'm gassed - this old boy ain't fit."

Wright, the Olympic bronze medallist knocked out Griffin Colapinto in the first heat, outscoring the American 13.67 to 12.34 in a tight eliminator.

World No.7 Colapinto came into the competition as one of the form surfers after winning his first title in Portugal last month.

After a slow start Wright was trailing Colapinto with four minutes to go in the heat before he scored a 7.50 with his third wave to take the lead.

The Californian couldn't respond, allowing Wright to keep alive his hopes of climbing the rankings.

Wright came into the event ranked a lowly equal-31st and needs good results here and at the next stop at Margaret River before the field is cut to 24 for the remaining events.

The 32-year-old was emotional after reaching the last 16 for the first time this year and said he kept his focus on ringing the prized trophy's bell for the first time.

He has finished equal fifth at the famed surf break five times.

"I haven't passed that (round of 32) for a while so it was good," Wright said.

"I never count myself out to win, especially here at Bells as my whole goal is to ring the bell - it is every year.

"I was out there thinking of the bell and that you never know how you're going to get to that bell - a shaky start could be it.

"I put that last wave to bed in the last five and by the time I got back out there was a minute left so it was a crucial wave."

© AAP 2022

A man who posted numerous social media videos decrying the US as a racist place awash in violence and recounting his struggle with mental illness has been arrested, a day after an attack on a subway train in Brooklyn left 10 people wounded by gunfire.

Frank R James, 62, was taken into custody in Manhattan's East Village neighbourhood, law enforcement officials who weren't authorised to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Further details weren't immediately available.

Police had initially said on Tuesday that James was being sought for questioning because he had rented a van possibly connected to the attack, but weren't sure whether he was responsible for the shooting.

Mayor Eric Adams said in a series of media interviews Wednesday morning that investigators had upgraded James to a suspect, but did not offer details beyond citing "new information that became available to the team."

The gunman sent off smoke grenades in a crowded subway car and then fired at least 33 shots with a 9mm handgun, police said. Five gunshot victims were in critical condition but all 10 wounded in the shooting were expected to survive. At least a dozen others who escaped gunshot wounds were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries.

The shooter escaped in the chaos, but left behind numerous clues, including the gun, ammunition magazines, a hatchet, smoke grenades, petrol and the key to a U-Haul van.

That key led investigators to James, a New York City-area native who had more recent addresses in Philadelphia and Wisconsin.

His van was found, unoccupied, near a station where investigators determined the gunman had entered the subway system.

Investigators believe James drove up from Philadelphia on Monday and have reviewed surveillance video showing a man matching his physical description coming out of the van early Tuesday morning, the official said. Other video shows James entering a subway station in Brooklyn with a large bag, the official said.

In addition to analysing financial and telephone records connected to James, investigators were reviewing hours of rambling, profanity-filled videos James posted on YouTube and other social media platforms.

In one video, posted a day before the attack, James criticises crime against Black people and says drastic action is needed.

"You got kids going in here now taking machine guns and mowing down innocent people," James says. "It's not going to get better until we make it better," he said, adding that he thought things would only change if certain people were "stomped, kicked and tortured" out of their "comfort zone."

In another video he says, "this nation was born in violence, it's kept alive by violence or the threat thereof and it's going to die a violent death. There's nothing going to stop that."

© AP 2022

With Easter around the corner, Australian travellers itching to fly out for the holidays should prepare for long queues at major airports.

Thursday is set to be the busiest day for domestic air travel in more than two years, with some 82,000 passengers expected to pass through security gates and check-in counters at Sydney Airport.

"I know it's a difficult message to hear but Thursday is going to be another tough day for travellers, and I want to apologise in advance to anyone who is inconvenienced," said Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert.

He said up to 20 per cent of staff were absent due to COVID-19 or isolation protocols which has put strain on managing the long lines.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi urged eager travellers to be patient as the aviation industry adjusts to flights picking up again following a nationwide relaxation of social restrictions and border closures.

"COVID-19 decimated airlines and airports and resulted in thousands of highly skilled workers being stood down or made redundant," he said.

"Airlines and their suppliers are now scaling up their workforce but given the safety-critical nature of the jobs they do, recruitment and re-training can take time".

Adelaide Airport expects 25,000 people through its recently expanded terminal on Thursday and again on Friday.

Brisbane Airport expects around 50,000 passengers will be jumping on flights.

© AAP 2022